The Star-Nosed Mole

The Star-Nosed Mole: Nature’s Fastest Forager with a Nose That "Sees"

The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is one of the most unique and fascinating creatures in the animal kingdom. Despite its common name, this mole’s nose functions more like an eye than a traditional olfactory organ. The 22 fleshy tentacles, or rays, at the tip of its snout are covered with over 25,000 Eimer’s organs—specialized touch receptors packed with more than 100,000 nerve fibers. This remarkable sensory system makes it the most touch-sensitive organ of any known mammal, allowing the star-nosed mole to navigate and hunt with incredible speed and efficiency.

A Nose That "Sees"

Unlike humans and most other mammals that rely on vision, the star-nosed mole compensates for its poor eyesight with its ultra-sensitive star-shaped nose. Constantly moving and probing, the rays quickly assess objects to determine whether they are food. This heightened touch sensitivity enables the mole to find prey faster than the human eye can follow—identifying and consuming food in a record-breaking 200 milliseconds. This ability has earned it a Guinness World Record as the fastest-eating mammal on Earth.

Habitat and Distribution

Star-nosed moles are found across eastern North America, from the United States to Canada, favoring moist, low-elevation areas. Their preferred habitats include wetlands, swamps, and the banks of lakes and streams. The soft, moist soil of these environments makes it easier for them to construct complex underground tunnel systems.

Tunnels: A Safe Haven

The star-nosed mole is an expert digger. With a short neck, powerful shoulders, and strong claws, it efficiently carves out burrows for traveling, nesting, and escaping predators. These tunnels serve different purposes:

• Shallow tunnels – Primarily used for foraging and short-term travel.
• Deep tunnels – More permanent structures used for nesting, resting, and protection from cold temperatures.

While underground, they are relatively safe from predators. However, when they surface, they are vulnerable to threats such as hawks, owls, foxes, weasels, skunks, and snakes.

Feeding Habits: The Fastest Hunter

The star-nosed mole has an enormous appetite, consuming at least 50% of its body weight daily. It is an opportunistic feeder, eating whatever small creatures it can catch. Its diet includes:

• Earthworms
• Beetles
• Grubs
• Other invertebrates
• Small fish
• Amphibians
• Mollusks

Being semi-aquatic, it has the advantage of hunting both on land and in water. Remarkably, the star-nosed mole can even smell underwater. It achieves this by exhaling air bubbles onto objects and then re-inhaling them, capturing scent molecules to help detect prey. This extraordinary adaptation makes it a highly effective predator in aquatic environments.

Adaptations for an Aquatic Life

Unlike most moles, which are primarily land-dwellers, the star-nosed mole is the most aquatic of all North American moles. It has several adaptations that allow it to thrive in water:

• Dense, waterproof fur keeps it dry and insulated.
• Large, paddle-like front feet aid in swimming and digging.
• Lungs with twice the capacity of other moles help it stay submerged longer.
• A long tail—about one-third the length of its body—acts as a rudder for stability while swimming.

Even in winter, these moles remain active, diving and foraging under ice-covered water.

Social Behavior and Reproduction

Unlike most solitary mole species, star-nosed moles display a higher degree of social interaction and may live in small colonies. It is believed that mating pairs stay together through winter, a behavior uncommon among moles.

Breeding and Offspring

Breeding season starts in early spring. The female gives birth once a year, unless her first litter fails. Key reproductive details include:

• Gestation period – About 45 days
• Litter size – 2 to 7 pups, usually born in May or June
• Newborn characteristics – Blind, hairless, and with tentacles folded against their snout
• Development milestones:

Eyes open at 2 weeks
Tentacles become functional
Young leave the nest at around 4 weeks
Full maturity is reached in about 10 months

While their exact lifespan is unknown, it is estimated to be around 3-4 years in the wild.

The Rarity of Sightings

Although not considered rare, star-nosed moles are seldom seen due to their underground lifestyle. However, unlike other mole species, they spend more time above ground and are active year-round, both day and night. If you happen to be near a wetland or stream, keep an eye out—you might just catch a glimpse of this fascinating creature.